Dishwasx m machine



March 24, 1964 M. AUBERT ETAL 3,126,025

ROTATABLE AND OSCILLATING WATER SPRAY HEAD FOR A DISHWASHING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 [III I! l Ill] Hlllll Filed Aqg. '7, 1962 INVENTORS MICHEL AUBERT JAMES F BELAIEFF LM AGENT March 24, 1964 A M. UBERT ETAL 3,126,025 ROTATABLE AND OSCILLATING WATER SPRAY HEAD FOR A DISHWASHING MACHINE Filed Aug. 7, 1962 I5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS MICHEL AUBERT JAMES F BELAIEFF BY M X? AGENT March 24, 1964 M, AUBERT ETAL 3,126,025

ROTATABLE AND OSCILLATING WATER SPRAY HEAD FOR A DISHWASHING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 7, 1962 FIG.3

INVENTORS MICHEL AUBERT BY JAMES F. BELAIEFF AGENT United States Patent 3,126,025 RQTATABLE AND USCELATING WATER SPRAY HEAD F912 A DESHWASHING MACHlNE Michel Aubert and James Frank Belaiefi, Geneva,

Switzerland, amiguors to Frame S.A., Fribourg,

Switzerland Filed Aug. '7, 1962, Ser. No. 215,341 Claims priority, application Switzerland Sept. 8, 1961 4 Qlaims. (Cl. 134-176) The invention relates to a dish-washing machine comprising a washing chamber for the dishes to be cleaned, a water-spraying device arranged in the said chamber, a centrifugal pump for feeding water under pressure to the said device and a second centrifugal pump for draining the chamber. The machine in accordance with the invention is characterized in that it comprises an auxiliary chamber provided at the lower part of the washing chamber so as to form a downward continuation thereof, in that the said two pumps are arranged in the auxiliary chamber, at least the draining ump being operative in a single direction of rotation only, in that the waterspraying device is disposed above the feed pump the output of which opens into the interior of the said device, apertures of passage being provided which constitute a permanent connection between the inputs of the two pumps and the interior of the lower part of the auxiliary chamber and also between the output of the draining pump and an external drain pipe, in that a common shaft for the two pumps is passed in a water-tight manner through an aperture in the lower part of the auxiliary chamber, for which purpose this aperture is provided with a water-tight packing, and in that bearings supported by the auxiliary chamber are provided externally of the two chambers in which the external part of the said shaft is journalled, while externally of the chambers a motor is provided which is capable of driving the said part of the shaft, at will, in either direction.

The accompanying drawings show, by way of example, an embodiment of the dish-washing machine in accordance with the invention.

FIGURE 1 is a part elevation, part sectional view of the entire embodiment.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view of an auxiliary chamher part thereof on a larger scale and taken on lines 22 of FIG. 1.

FIGURE 3 is a developed view showing the form and the disposition of guide vanes of the feed pump.

FIGURE 4 is a plan view showing the guide members in the positions they occupy when mounted.

The machine has a casing 11, a base 2 of which rests upon a floor 3. A washing chamber 4 is provided with a door 5 adapted to hinge about a horizontal pin 6. In FIGURE 1 the door 5 is closed. It opens in the direction of an arrow 7. A spring 8 brakes the opening movemnet of the door, particularly towards the end of this movement. Rails 9, only one of which is visible in the drawings (FEGURE 1), are intended to support one or several baskets which contain the dishes to be cleaned and are introduced into the washing chamber through the door 5. A water supply pipe 10 opens into the washing chamber.

The washing chamber 4 in its bottom 11 has a circular aperture 12. to the rim of which an auxiliary chamber 13 open at the upper end is secured in a water-tight but detachable manner. This auxiliary chamber projects below the lower surface of the washing chamber and the water from the pipe 10 finally flows into the chamber 13.

In the auxiliary chamber 13 are accommodated a wator-spraying device 14 described more fully hereinafter and a centrifugal feed pump 15 which is disposed below the device 14 and the output of which opens into the interior of this device. A centrifugal discharge pump 16 having a single direction of rotation is accommodated in the lowermost part of the chamber 13.

The impellers of the pumps 15 and 16 are keyed to a common vertical shaft 17 which with the aid of a watertight packing 18 passes in a water-tight manner through an aperture provided in a boss part 19 of the bottom of the auxiliary chamber. Thus, a part 211 of the shaft 17 projects beyond the two chambers 4 and 13 but within the boss 19 which is hollow and in which externally of the chambers two ball-bearings 21 and 22 are arranged in which the part 21) of the shaft is supported for rotation. The lower end of the said part 29 of the shaft is provided with a pulley 2 3 which is driven with the aid of a belt 24 by a reversible electric motor 25 accommodated in the lower portion of the casing 1 externally of the chambers t and 13. Through an aperture provided in the chamber 13 the output of the draining pump is in constant communication with an external drain pipe 27.

As will be described more fully hereinafter, the inputs of the two pumps are also in constant communication with the interior of the lower part of the auxiliary chamber.

The impeller of the pump 15 is mounted on a cylindrical part of a member 28 which also has a conical portion 29 split at 311. The impeller of the pump 16 is rigidly secured to a conical member 31 mounted on the member 29. The upper end of the shaft 17 is provided with screwthread on which a wing-nut is screwed. FIG URE 2 shows that by tightening this nut the member 28 is rigidly secured to the shaft and at the satne time the member 31 is rigidly secured to the assembly 28, 29. A locking member 33 locks the nut 32 (and hence the shaft) of the impeller of the pump after the tightening operation.

A detachable auxiliary bottom 34- is provided at the upper end of the chamber 13. This bottom is inclined to guide the incident water to a filter 35 which is also detachable to facilitate cleaning. In its upper part the filter has a plurality of small apertures 58 through which in operation the water sprayed onto the dishes flows to return to the feed pump 15. The lower portion of the filter contains two elongated diametrically opposed apertures 59 the cross-sectional area of which is much greater than that of the apertures 58. Through the apertures 59 the water fiows only when being discharged from the machine. Small projections 69 provided on the bottom of the filter serve to catch any small solid articles (stones and seeds of fruit, fragments of crockery, and so on). Thus, any solid particles caught with the exception of those likely to obstruct the draining pump are removed through the aperture 59 in the draining operation.

The water-spraying device 14 and the feed pump 15 are accommodated in the same casing which is detachably secured to the inner surface of the auxiliary chamber. This casing comprises two parts 36 and 37 which with the aid of three resilient clamping members 38, only one of which is visible in FIGURE 2, are secured to one another so as to be readily separable.

The assembly comprising the parts 36 and 37 is secured to the chamber 13 by three bolts 39 and wing nuts 40. Three spacers 41 space the assembly from the auxiliary chamber so as to enable the water issuing from the filter 35 to flow to the input of the pump 15.

The upper part 3'7 of the casing 36, 37 forms a doublewalled space 42, 43 open at the lower end facing the feed pump 15. The upper part of the outer wall 42 has an aperture 44 through which a rod 45 passes to which a water-distributing member 46 is secured externally of the casing 36, 37. This member 46 comprises an upper portion ia of synthetic resin moulded about the knurled upper end of the rod 45 and a metal portion 46b which is secured to 46a by soldering and has a spherical lower portion 47 open at 48. The spherical portion 47 of the member 46 rests on a conical seating 49 of an annular member 50 secured to the wall 42 so as to surround the aperture 44.

The member 46 which, as FIGURE 2 shows, is hollow, is provided in its upper portion 46a with unsymmetrically arranged apertures 51. Through these apertures, the water contained under pressure in the member 46 issues in the form of jets.

The lower part of the rod 45 is secured in a member 52. In the upper part of the inner wall 43 is provided an aperture 53 through which the rod 45 can move. To prevent the member 52 from closing the aperture 53 in operation, there is secured to this member a member 54 in the form of a star which has a number of points 55 and through the centre of which the rod 45 passes.

The water under pressure is fed from the output of the pump to the distributing member 4:: in the following manner. Four identical members 56 of resilient material, for example rubber, are clamped between the two walls 42 and 4-3. These members, which are shown developed in FIGURE 3, are shaped so as to form stationary guide vanes for the water issuing under pressure from the pump 15 with a rapid rotating movement. The vanes are provided to reduce or even eliminate this rotating movement and to guide the water towards the input 43 of the distributing member 46.

Initially, the rod 45 is disposed vertically and the water contained in the space bounded by the inner wall 43 is given a rapid rotating movement when the pump 15 is operative. Due to the friction the member 52 is driven by the water so as to resolve about its axis in a vertical unstable position. As a result, it assumes the inclined position shown in FIGURE 2, a portion 57 being in contact with the upper part of the space 36, 37. Due to the revolution of the member 52 about its axis and to this contact, the member rolls over the upper part of the said space so that finally the assembly 46, 45, 52 performs two movements at the same time, that is to say, a revolution about its axis and an oscillating movement according to a cone. Thus, there is a complete spraying action in all directions in the washing chamber owing to the jets issuing from the various orifices 51.

In operation, the motor drives the shaft 1'7 in a direction such that the pump 15 is operative and the pump 16 is inoperative. For draining, the motor runs in the reverse direction; thus, the pump 16 is operative while it is immaterial whether or not the pump 15 operates.

It will be appreciated that the water sprayed through the orifices 51 onto the dishes drops in the chamber 4, passes through the filter and is again induced into the feed pump so as to produce a closed circulation. The pipe 10 is used only at the beginning of operation to introduce a certain amount of water into the machine.

The machine in accordance with the invention has the following important advantage: Since the two pumps are arranged in the auxiliary chamber, the water circulation in the machine takes place entirely within the assembly comprising the washing chamber and the auxiliary chamber so that the likelihood of leakage at joints or connections of external conduits is completely avoided.

The auxiliary bottom 34 and the filter 35 may be removed without a tool, giving access to the assembly 36, 37 which may simply be opened for supervision or servicing without a tool by removing the members 38. If required, the impeller of the pump 15 may readily be dis' assembled by unscrewing the wing-nut 32. The draining pump is readily accessible by manually unscrewing the nuts 40. Thus, assembly and disassembly of these elements is very simple.

In the embodiment described, the washing chamber 4 and the auxiliary chamber 13 are two separate parts detachably secured to one another. In a modified embodiment, these two chamber may be an integral structure made as such or produced by securing two chambers to one another by soldering.

What is claimed is:

1. In a dishwashing machine, a washing chamber for retaining the articles to be cleaned, a water spraying device having a spray head arranged in said washing chamber in a manner whereby said spraying device rotates about its axis and oscillates according to the generatrix of a cone, a first centrifugal pump for supplying water under pressure to said water spraying device, a second centrifugal pump for draining said chamber of said water, an auxiliary chamber located under said washing chamber and housing said centrifugal pumps, said auxiliary chamber having an aperture through which a common shaft for said pumps is passed in a water-tight manner, an external drain pipe to which said draining pump is operatively connected, a bearing being supported by said auxiliary chamber, said shaft being journalled therein, and a motor provided externally of said chambers and operatively connected to said shaft for driving the same.

2. In a dishwashing machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said spray head rotates about its axis in a substantially vertical, unstable position thereby resulting in a spraying action of said device in all directions in said washing chamber.

3. In a dishwashing machine, a Washing chamber for retaining the articles to be cleaned, a water spraying device having a spray head arranged in said washing chamber in a manner whereby said spraying device rotates about its axis and oscillates according to the generatrix of a cone, a first centrifugal pump for supplying water under pressure to said water spraying device, a second centrifugal pump for draining said chamber of said Water, an auxiliary chamber located under said washing chamber and housing said centrifugal pumps, said auxiliary chamber having an aperture through which a common shaft for said pumps is passed in a water-tight manner, an external drain pipe to which said draining pump is operatively connected, a bearing being supported by said auxiliary chamber, said shaft being iournalled therein, and a motor provided externally of said chambers and operatively connected to said shaft for driving the same, a doubled-Walled enclosure in said auxiliary space open at the bottom facing said first centrifugal pump, the upper part of said enclosure having a seating aperture through which said water spraying device is passed with a part thereof adapted to be seated therein, and a means on said water spraying device located within said enclosure which causes said spray head to both rotate about its axis and oscillate according to the generatrix of a cone.

4. In a dishwashing machine as claimed in claim 3 further comprising a plurality of resilient members being clamped between said double walls and forming stationary guide vanes for the water issuing from said first centrifugal pump, said vanes reducing the rotating movement of said water spraying device materially and guiding said water under pressure to the head of said water spraying device.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,667,745 Smellie May 1, 1928 2,711,179 Andrews June 21, 1955 2,720,771 Lewis Oct 18, 1955 2,775,975 Andrews Jan. 1, 1957 

1.IN A DISWASHING MACHINE A WASHING CHAMGER FOR RETAINING THE ARTICLES TO BE CLEANED, A WATER SPRAYING DEVICE HAVING A SPRAY HEAD ARRANGED IN SAID WASHING CHAMBER IN A MANNER WHEREBY SAID SPRYING DEVICE ROTATES ABOUT ITS AXIS AND OSCILLATES ACCORDING TO THE GENERATRIX OF A CONE, A FIRST CONTRIFUGAL PUMP FOR SUPPLYING WATER UNDER PRESSURE TO SAID WATER SPRAYING DEVICE, A SECOND CENTRIFUGAL PUMP FOR DRAINING SAID CHAMBER OF SAID WATER, AN AUXILIARY CHAMBER LOCATED UNDER SAID WASHING CHAMBER AND HOUSING SAID CENTRIFUGAL PUMPS,SAID AUXILLARY CHAMBER HAVING AN APERTURE THROUGH WHICH A COMMON SHALF FOR SAID PUMPS IS PASSED IN A WATER-TIGHT MANNER, AN EXTERNAL DRAIN PIPE TO WHICH DRAINING PUMP IS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED. A BEARING BEING SUPPORTED BY SAID AUXILIARY CHANBER,SAID SHAFT BEING JOURNALLED THEREIN 